Let’s all relax about our turf
By Steve Pettis, Henderson County Horticulture Agent
Posted Apr 22, 2020 at 2:53 PM
The lawn as we know it has been around for the last hundred years. In the 1700′s lawns were really meadows: mixtures of native grasses and broadleaf plants that were oftentimes kept short by grazing livestock.
George Washington had sod from a meadow cut and brought to Mt. Vernon upon completion of his home. Sheep kept the grass mowed. Even centuries later when America’s suburbs first came into existence after the soldiers came home from World War II, lawns were still mixes of different grasses and broadleaf plants.
In the 1950′s, companies began a campaign to convince us all that our yards must be pure stands of one type of grass. I have seen an old herbicide advertisement that showed a monster-like clover towering over a defenseless lady ready to devour her and her yard. The message was clear...weeds are evil.
What is a weed anyway? Really a weed is a plant growing where you wish it were not. Most of the weeds that grow in our lawns are actually native plants that benefit wildlife. Grass is good for wildlife when it is allowed to grow tall, flower, and go to seed. Closely mowed grass is no good for most wildlife.
Growing grass shouldn’t require so much work. People make grass difficult by over-managing it. Homeowners stress grass by mowing too low. Then they fertilize the lawn to make it grow.
Why do we grow so much lawn anyway? It is easy to reduce the amount of lawn we have to care for by restoring some of our landscapes back to native vegetation. With a combination of mulch and native plants skillfully laid out on our properties, we can achieve a balance between usable lawn space and native plantings.
There are over 40 million acres of lawns in the United States. By contrast, there are 19 million acres of corn. Home lawns can have a larger impact on the environment than big agriculture. Lawns and lawn care practices can have a negative impact on the environment and human health. The use of lawn equipment, pesticides, fertilizers can lead to water, air, and noise pollution.
Environmental Impacts of Lawns
Water usage: Lawns use more water than food crops.
Air pollution: The EPA estimates gas-powered lawn and garden equipment is responsible for a whopping 5% of our air pollution. One hour of mowing the lawn with a gas-powered lawn mower emits 11 times more pollution than driving a car for the same hour.
Noise pollution: A mower generates 90 decibels, a blower 99 decibels, a weedeater 96 decibels and front end loader 95 decibels. If an employee uses a piece of equipment that exceeds 85 decibels, regardless of duration, hearing protectors need to be used.
Particulate pollution: high powered mowers and blowers inject dust into the air increasing allergies.
Fertilizers: Phosphorous and nitrogen algae blooms when washed into streams.
Pesticides: Commonly washed into streams killing fish and insects.
Solid waste: Yard waste (leaves, limbs, grass trimmings) removes soil nutrients and deposits them into landfills.
Lush lawns attract pests. People are forced to apply chemicals to it to get rid of the pests. I call this feedback loop ‘the chemical treadmill’ and until we all relax our standards a bit, we will all be running on it. A perfect lawn requires chemicals and inorganic fertilizers, end of story. Do we need perfect lawns though?
There is a better way. Turf owners should relax their standards and use proper turf management to achieve a healthier, stronger, more pest resistant lawn. If gardeners choose the correct turf type (locally fescue), mow at the correct height (3-4 inches), fertilize properly according to soil tests, use adequate irrigation, and accept a minimum amount of weeds, they can produce grass that requires less chemical input.
Lawn Calendar for WNC
Summer: Mowing and soil test.
Late summer: Reduce mowing as heat increases and rain decreases to reduce stress on grass.
Fall: Aeration is done in the fall in conjunction with liming and overseeding. Apply fall preemergent herbicides in Early September. Mulch fallen leaves into the lawn with a mower.
Spring: Overseed any bare spots. Break up the 5lbs of N over the summer; 1lb N every five weeks starting in March and ending in September. Apply spring preemergent herbicides in mid-February. Top dress with a light dusting of organic matter such as soil conditioner or topsoil if soil needs improvement.
Steve Pettis is a horticulture agent for the Henderson County Cooperative Extension
By Steve Pettis, Henderson County Horticulture Agent
Posted Apr 22, 2020 at 2:53 PM
The lawn as we know it has been around for the last hundred years. In the 1700′s lawns were really meadows: mixtures of native grasses and broadleaf plants that were oftentimes kept short by grazing livestock.
George Washington had sod from a meadow cut and brought to Mt. Vernon upon completion of his home. Sheep kept the grass mowed. Even centuries later when America’s suburbs first came into existence after the soldiers came home from World War II, lawns were still mixes of different grasses and broadleaf plants.
In the 1950′s, companies began a campaign to convince us all that our yards must be pure stands of one type of grass. I have seen an old herbicide advertisement that showed a monster-like clover towering over a defenseless lady ready to devour her and her yard. The message was clear...weeds are evil.
What is a weed anyway? Really a weed is a plant growing where you wish it were not. Most of the weeds that grow in our lawns are actually native plants that benefit wildlife. Grass is good for wildlife when it is allowed to grow tall, flower, and go to seed. Closely mowed grass is no good for most wildlife.
Growing grass shouldn’t require so much work. People make grass difficult by over-managing it. Homeowners stress grass by mowing too low. Then they fertilize the lawn to make it grow.
Why do we grow so much lawn anyway? It is easy to reduce the amount of lawn we have to care for by restoring some of our landscapes back to native vegetation. With a combination of mulch and native plants skillfully laid out on our properties, we can achieve a balance between usable lawn space and native plantings.
There are over 40 million acres of lawns in the United States. By contrast, there are 19 million acres of corn. Home lawns can have a larger impact on the environment than big agriculture. Lawns and lawn care practices can have a negative impact on the environment and human health. The use of lawn equipment, pesticides, fertilizers can lead to water, air, and noise pollution.
Environmental Impacts of Lawns
Water usage: Lawns use more water than food crops.
Air pollution: The EPA estimates gas-powered lawn and garden equipment is responsible for a whopping 5% of our air pollution. One hour of mowing the lawn with a gas-powered lawn mower emits 11 times more pollution than driving a car for the same hour.
Noise pollution: A mower generates 90 decibels, a blower 99 decibels, a weedeater 96 decibels and front end loader 95 decibels. If an employee uses a piece of equipment that exceeds 85 decibels, regardless of duration, hearing protectors need to be used.
Particulate pollution: high powered mowers and blowers inject dust into the air increasing allergies.
Fertilizers: Phosphorous and nitrogen algae blooms when washed into streams.
Pesticides: Commonly washed into streams killing fish and insects.
Solid waste: Yard waste (leaves, limbs, grass trimmings) removes soil nutrients and deposits them into landfills.
Lush lawns attract pests. People are forced to apply chemicals to it to get rid of the pests. I call this feedback loop ‘the chemical treadmill’ and until we all relax our standards a bit, we will all be running on it. A perfect lawn requires chemicals and inorganic fertilizers, end of story. Do we need perfect lawns though?
There is a better way. Turf owners should relax their standards and use proper turf management to achieve a healthier, stronger, more pest resistant lawn. If gardeners choose the correct turf type (locally fescue), mow at the correct height (3-4 inches), fertilize properly according to soil tests, use adequate irrigation, and accept a minimum amount of weeds, they can produce grass that requires less chemical input.
Lawn Calendar for WNC
Summer: Mowing and soil test.
Late summer: Reduce mowing as heat increases and rain decreases to reduce stress on grass.
Fall: Aeration is done in the fall in conjunction with liming and overseeding. Apply fall preemergent herbicides in Early September. Mulch fallen leaves into the lawn with a mower.
Spring: Overseed any bare spots. Break up the 5lbs of N over the summer; 1lb N every five weeks starting in March and ending in September. Apply spring preemergent herbicides in mid-February. Top dress with a light dusting of organic matter such as soil conditioner or topsoil if soil needs improvement.
Steve Pettis is a horticulture agent for the Henderson County Cooperative Extension